Because you're here
by Ritsuka-chan1092
Summary: Sakura leaves the leaf village in order to pursuit her new love, Itachi. Naruto battles Sasuke to get his help to bring Sakura back, two birds with one stone situation. spoiler: There will be a death


**Hello everyone, I have decided to make a new story lol ^^ This is my first Naruto fanfiction lol XD I just had to make one. I have gotten into watching Naruto a little to much so I was insipired. I see a lot of fanfictions where Sakura leaves the leaf village to go into the akatsuki or to follow Sasuke and join the Orichimaru team lol. Well I decided to make my own fanfiction with those. Sakura will be with the Akatsuki~! I love the Sakura and Itachi paring, so I thought, "Why not give it a whirl?" l hope you like it :D**

**DISCLAIMER: ****I DO NOT**** own ****NARUTO**** or it's ****CHARACTERS**

**Chapter 1- Betrayal and Departure**

Sakura sighed as she sat on the ege of her bed. It was dark in her room. She clutched her chest and sighed again, this time more deeply.

She knew that she was going to do it...she had to. If she didn't she would suffocate. Her heart hung heavy with thoughts of him. She needed to be near him, even if it meant betraying her friends and family. She longed to be in his presence, evein if doing so killed her.

Sakura stood up and crossed her dark bedroom in a few short seconds. She turned the lamp on at her desk, the light casted down onto a picture of her and her previous team mates, Sasuke, Naruto, and Kakashi. She sighed again, knowing she was going to hurt Naruto the same way Sasuke had.

After staring at the picture for a few more longing seconds, she turned the lamp off and then took her headband off and laid it down on her desk. She took out a kunai and paused a moment. She thought deeply for what seemed like hours, but where seconds. She then took the kunai and slashed it deeply through the middle of her villiages symbol.

The deed was almost done, now she had only to escape the village. Now was better then later, it was dark and the festival was going on outside. If she was lucky nobody would notice her leaving through the gates.

Sakura looked in the mirror at herself, her hair had grown out longer, it now reached her waist. She took out a string and then tied her hair in a high bun. The departure had to be done quickly, she knew it would be certain death if she were to be caught.

Sakura removed her clothes that had her clan's symbol on it. She walked over to a black, strapless-belly shirt and put it on. She strapped her pouch that held her kunais in it, to her black shorts.

Now that she was ready, she would make her leave. Before leaving her bedroom, she placed a hunter green cloak around her and pulled the hood up, partly to cover the headband that had her betrayal to her village marked on it.

She walked down stairs to where her mother and father were, they saw her in her outfit and they approached her.

"Sakura, are you going out to the festival?" her mother asked and smiled.

Sakura paused, her heart was beating rapidly in her chest. If she was discovered this early on, she would have no choice but to kill her parents, and that...was the last thing she wanted so she put on a smile and tilted her head up a little, making sure that her headband was out of sight.

"Yeah, want anything?" she asked her mother.

Her father looked at her suspicously, causing her insides to burn. He then sighed and shook his head. "Not me." he said.

Sakura inwardly sighed and then turned to her mother and looked at her for a moment, it would be the last time she would probably see her mother's smiling face, so she soaked it up for a moment.

"Be careful out there dear, come home before it gets to late." her mother said.

Sakura nodded silently and then turned, forcing herself not to hesitate, and walked out the door.

She sighed as she made it ouside and made her way through the crowded street and dancing. The festival was really lively tonight, she would miss the great foods they had out on these nights.

Sakura smiled to herself as she broke into a light run that soon turned into a quick one.

She felt like she was being followed, and by the presence she felt, it was Naruto and Ino.

She cursed inwardly at her trackers and then relaxed a little as she spotted the gate. Iruka and another ninja was sitting behind the desks of the gate and were keeping watch for intruders.

This would proably be where she would be busted, seeing as she had to go passed them to get through the gate, and being a shady figure with a hood over her head, would scream villan.

Sakura quickly went through her options her her head as she got closer and closer. She was almost there, so close to being one step nearer to him.

She smiled as she was about ten feet away from the big arching gate. She ran forward only to be stopped by three figures spreading out in front of her at the gate.

She glared at them, they clearly didn't know who she was, that was showing on their faces.

It was none other than Kukashi, Naruto and Ino.

The other's saw the commotion and stepped up. She was now surrounded by all of her friends, whom she was about to betray. She sighed heavily and crossed her arms.

"Who are you and what are you planning?" Naruto said stepping forward.

Sakura put on her darkest smile and uncrossed her arms, causing the others to draw their kunais and stand in a defensive stance.

Kakashi looked closely, trying to unmask the person under the cloak, the person was a familiar height and shape. He narrowed his eyes, it was on the tip of his tongue, but still he couldn't spit it out.

Sakura scanned through her options in her head again, carefully re-writting some steps and courses of action. She looked to Rock Lee, knowing that if she were to make a quick movement, he would be there in a split second.

She sighed as she figured she had to go with a whole knew method. The shock method. She would have to distract them with her idenity, hopefully it would buy her some time to make it around them.

She got ready to make her move, but felt something tug her cape from behind. It was Kiba's companion, Akamaru.

She held onto the cloak that hid herself from them. Akamaru pulled harder and harder until finally it tore.

She stood there, now fully revealed to her friends, soon to be old friends, only bitter memories she would keep locked away for the one she loved.

Kakashi's eyes were wide in surprise, but had yet to discover the real surprise that rested against her forhead.

"Ah Sakura-chan! Man you gave us a scare." Naruto said putting away his kunai and walking up to her.

Sakura hated that she had to hurt him, but it was the only way, she waited for him to get closer.

The others sighed and relaxed and put away their kunai and grumbled.

Sakura smiled a fake smile and walked towards Naruto who was babbling about going to get ramen together.

Kakashi was going to relax as well until he spotted her headband. His eye widened even more.

"Naruto stop right there!" he called, but it was to late.

Sakura drew her fist back far and then pulled it forward, connecting with Naruto's stomach and sending him flying back. She done this and maintained her smile.

The others around her were stunned speechless, not fully taking in what had happened.

Naruto sat up and ran up to her. "What was that for Sakura-chan!" he asked.

Sakura closed the ten feet between then in a second and was face to face with him.

"Goodbye Naruto." she whispered in his ear and hugged him and then stepped back.

Naruto looked at Sakura, trying to figure out this confusion. He looked her up and down twice and then his eyes finally found the headband with the deep gash across it.

"What happened Sakura-chan...to your headband?" he asked.

Sakura sighed and placed a hand on her hip. "You are still the same stupid idiot from the time we first met. You never change." she said.

She cleared her throat and drew out a kunai. "I Sakura Haruno formally announce my betrayal to the Leaf Village and to my clan, I formally strip myself of the Haruno name. I am leaving this village and now...you are all my enemies!" she said and ran forward and struck out at Naruto and drove the kunai deep into his shoulder.

Naruto stood there and held his shoulder, confusion, hurt and betrayal in his facial features.

"No...Sakura-chan, stop playing around...you can't be serious." he said.

Sakura narrowed her eyes into a glare. "I am as serious as serious can be." she mumbled.

"But what about Sasuke! Weren't we going to find him and bring him back together!" he yelled.

Sakura threw another kunai at Naruto, but he dodged it. "I could care less about Sasuke. The person I am after...is stronger than him." she said with a distant smile.

Naruto looked at her in shock. "Who is it! Who is trying to take you from us!" he yelled and started walking to her, but was stopped by Kakashi.

Sakura looked up at the stary sky and then back at Naruto. "I used to like Sasuke...yes I did, up until the point where we battled the akatsuki last time." she said and sighed.

Naruto stood there, trembling in anger. "What does that have to do with this?" he asked.

Sakura smiled and then she raised her hand up, causing others to go into defensive mode, ready for anything. She raised her hand up and pointed to the gash on her forhead.

"It was then...that I started liking Itatchi." she said and then laughed.

She then went serious and drew several kunai out and held them in her fingers. "Sorry but I am on a tight schedule here." she said.

Kakashi drew a kunai and sighed. "As a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village, I cannot let you escape for you are a fugative and is now wanted for deception. Sakura I place you under confinment." he said and ran towards her.

Sakura got ready for anything. The others were to shocked by her betrayal to do anything.

"Kakashi-sensei what are you doing! That is Sakura!" Ino said.

Kakashi frowned. "This is her choice...there is nothing we can do now." he said and his blade clashed with Sakura's.

Sakura jumped back and then turned and ran out of the gate. She ran as fast as her legs would carry her. She then casted a ninjutsu effect and dissapeared into the night.

Naruto looked down the dark path that Sakura had just ran off down. He was still in shock. Another teamate betrayed him. It was like opening the wound that Sasuke left, and pouring lemon down in it. He stood to his feet and put his hands in his pockets, clenched in tight fists.

Kakashi came up and put a hand on his shoulder and sighed. "It is to late to go looking for her...but we will bring her back...at all costs." he said. "Remember, you two have a promise." he said.

Naruto looked up at Kakashi. A grin then spread across his face. "Yeah." he said and then sighed and walked back with the others to report to Lady Tsunade.

Naruto knew that there had to be something wrong with Sakura for her to walk straight into the enemy like that.

He smiled. "Kakashi-sensei, we will see Sakura sooner or later...afterall the akatsuki are after me...we will definantly see her again." he reassured, not only him but the others as well.

They would do whatever they had to, to get their comrad back. Things will be more difficult...first things first, get Sasuke on board first.

Naruto knew that Sasuke cared for Sakura, even if just a little bit, afterall...he only said goodbye to Sakura.

**Well I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, this is the first Naruto fic that I have ever done. I am jumping around with other anime's, trying all fields. lol Join me for the next chapter where Sakura is tracking down the akatsuki. Naruto will stumble across Sasuke soon and battle with him, will he win and make sasuke come back, or will he lose and return empty handed? PLEASE READ AND REVIEW~~! THANKK YOU~!**


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